Illegal Drugs Archives - Parenting Journals

Opioid Overdoses Triple Among Kids & Teens – How to Protect Your Kids

Danica Hoppe — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 19:47:59 +0000

By Lisa Pecos The Journal of the American Medical Associating (JAMA) Pediatrics recently published an alarming report stating that the number of young children and teens hospitalized in the U.S. for opioid overdose has almost tripled in recent years. What Are Opioids? Opioids are a class of prescription pain relievers that work by reducing the intensity of pain signals to the brain. You may recognize some of the drugs that fall into class from news reports or even from your own medicine cabinet as they are being prescribed more and more. These include: Hydrocodone (brand name Vicodin) Oxycodone (brand names Percocet, OxyContin) Morphine These are generally prescribed for moderate to severe pain. Though not as strong, codeine is also considered an opioid and is often prescribed for milder pain. The Shocking Results The study was based on information from a national database of hospitalizations of children and adolescents admitted to hospitals for opioid poisonings every 3 years from 1997 to 2012. Among those children under the age of 10, most poisonings were accidental, with kids eating the pills as they would candy. Accidental overdoses also accounted for most of the poisonings among teens, with some being suicide attempts. The groups focusing on children under 10 and teens both showed a dramatic increase in the number of cases involving OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet. The increase in the number of poisonings from 1997 to 2012 in each age group was as follows: Ages 1 to 4: 205 percent Ages 15 to 19: 176 percent Just as alarming was the increase in the number of poisonings involving heroin and methadone, which were 161 percent and 950 percent, respectively. This increase has been attributed to the rising rate at which types of painkillers are being prescribed in recent years. This increase in prescriptions has resulted in more and more homes in the United States having opioids, which means more kids and teens having access to them more than ever before. How You Can Help Protect Your Kids from Opioid Abuse Limiting access to narcotic pain killers is the first thing that you can do to protect your child or teen from opioid poisoning or abuse. Keeping prescription medications out of reach and in locked cabinets can help keep your children and their friends away from these addictive and potentially fatal medications. Talking to your children about the dangers of these drugs and other illicit drugs is also important. An understanding of why adolescents and teens turn to these drugs is also important and addiction and depression should be discussed openly so that treatment can be started as soon as possible. Signs of Opioid Poisoning Knowing the signs of opioid intoxication can alert you to a problem and may also help save a life. The following are common signs and symptoms of opioid intoxication: Delirium or confusion Trouble breathing Extreme sleepiness Small pupils Nausea and vomiting The severity of symptoms depends on how much of the drug was taken. Prolonged use of opioids can have life-altering consequences, including: Permanent lung damage Tremors Inability to think clearly Seizures Difficulty walking If you suspect that your child or teen is experiencing opioid poisoning, seek emergency medical care.

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Use of Synthetic Growth Hormone by American Teens More than Doubled in a Year

Danica Hoppe — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 18:04:33 +0000

The Internet has made shopping for so many goods a lot easier and more practical. For parents, it is important to remember that teens may also avail themselves of the ease and convenience that shopping online affords. And unless parents educate and are vigilant over their teens, youths may be getting their hands on some products that could do them a lot of harm. Such is the case with products that contain the synthetic human growth hormone hGH. This drug is used by doctors in injection form to treat a few medical conditions, such as diminished production of human growth hormone by a person’s pituitary gland, and to treat children whose doctors have determined will not achieve a normal height, unless there is medical intervention. But a quick online search will take one to websites where products advertised as containing synthetic hGH are marketed to people interested in increasing muscle mass, athletic performance and decreasing body fat; many times, those who buy the products are teenagers, sometimes teens who participate in competitive sports and are looking for a competitive edge. Medical professionals are sounding off the alarm to parents, advising parents of the results of a recent study which showed that the number of teens using these products more than doubled in a single year. In 2012, a survey by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids found that 5 percent of American teens admitted to using products containing the synthetic hormone; in 2013, the Partnership found that the number of teens using synthetic hGH had more than doubled, at 11 percent. Steve Pasierb, president of the group, called the trend “worrisome” and stated in a news release that it shows a need for tighter regulation and oversight of performance-enhancing products. Human growth hormone is naturally produced by the body; it is essential for growth and cell production in young people. But while a synthetic form of this hormone has been available since 1985 for a small number of medical conditions, off-label use of synthetic hGH is strictly prohibited by the government. Off-label use of this substance can produce potentially serious, unwanted results. Some of the outcomes of off-label use of synthetic hGH can be: Headaches Nerve, muscle and joint pain Swelling of tissues due to fluid retention (edema) Scoliosis A diabetes-like condition, due to synthetic hGH counteracting the effect of insulin in the body There are other reasons why parents should be concerned about their teens using products advertised as containing synthetic hGH: because this drug is very expensive when obtained from a doctor, there is a good chance that a consumer getting it from other sources is getting a cheaper, counterfeit variety of the drug, meaning that a person doesn’t really know what they’re putting into their system. In addition, doctors always administer synthetic hGH through a shot; when a person ingests it orally, it is digested by the stomach before it reaches the bloodstream (with unknown consequences to the digestive system). Abuse of synthetic hGH in an attempt to boost athletic power or improve appearance has occurred in the past. To track the use of this and other performance-enhancing drugs, researchers surveyed more than 3,700 high school students. They also did in-home interviews with 750 parents. The numbers showed that males and females were more or less equally likely to use synthetic hGH products; but there were slight differences in use percentages by different races, with 15 percent of African American teens admitting to having used the drug at least once, compared to 13 percent of Hispanics and 9 percent of Caucasian teens. The study found that use of steroids has also increased among American teens, from 5 percent of those interviewed in 2009 to 7 percent in 2013. The study’s authors warned that use of synthetic growth hormone and other performance-enhancing products can have serious health risks, and that consumers should be wary of what is a largely unregulated marketplace. These products are not regulated by any governmental agency and must be proven unsafe, before they can be banned from being sold, added Pasierb. That may give impressionable teens the illusion of safety, when in fact the products have not been rigorously tested and may be unsafe. According to Pasierb, lack of regulatory oversight makes it “difficult, if not impossible” to know the exact ingredients in these products. Parents should make it a point to talk to their teenage children about the dangers of using drugs — including performance-enhancing products like synthetic hGH or steroids. In the survey, 58 percent of parents said that they had done this with their teens — however, only 12 percent of teens reported that their parents had discussed synthetic hGH in talks about drugs. Experts advise parents to be aware that their children feel pressure to compete with their peers, and that includes in such things as athletic performance and physical appearance. Parents and other adults in a teen’s life should take this as a call to remember to convey to the children that they are loved and accepted for who they are. The more a child feels loved and appreciated by the adults in his or her life, especially the parents, the less likely the teen will be to feel a need to prove themselves to their peers. The survey found other alarming trends in drug use among teens: 44 percent of teens said they had used marijuana at least once in their lives; 41 percent of those started before reaching the age of 15 23 percent said they had misused or abused a prescription drug at least once (Sources: HealthDay News; drugfree.org; Healthline.com.) By Cynthia Sanchez. A graduate of the University of Washington, Cynthia has extensive experience writing about health and wellness topics for different media.

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Prescription Drug Abuse by American Teens Up One-Third in Five Years

Eirian — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 18:28:02 +0000

Prescription drug abuse by teens appears to have increased by 33 percent in a scant five years, according to a survey launched in 2012 and published in 2013 by The Partnership at Drugfree.org, in conjunction with the MetLife Foundation. The survey interviewed 3,900 teenagers in grades 9-12, who attended public, private and parochial schools. Eight hundred parents were also interviewed at home. The survey covered the period between 2008 and 2012. Close to 1 in 4 students, 24 percent — or more than 5 million teens — admitted to abusing prescription drugs at least once. Some of the more commonly abused drugs were Ritalin and Adderall, both of which are used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It may surprise some to learn that almost one-third of the parents interviewed believed that Ritalin or Adderall could improve a child’s school performance — even if their child had not been diagnosed with ADHD. The survey also found that twenty percent of teens who admitted to abusing prescription drugs said that they were younger than 14 the first time that they did so. Many parents and teens said they believed that prescription drugs were safer than street drugs. Medical professionals caution parents and their children not to make this false assumption, as prescription drugs can pose some of the same problems as illegal drugs, including addiction and long-term physiologic harm. Researchers also found that close to 80 percent of all teens had discussed alcohol and marijuana with their parents; almost one-third had discussed crack/cocaine with their parents. But only between 14 and 16 percent had discussed painkiller/prescription drug abuse with parents. That’s despite the fact that 56 percent of the teens kept their prescription drugs in their parents’ medicine cabinets. Almost half of all parents admitted that they did not restrict their child’s use of the child’s prescription drugs at home, and 1 in 5 parents said that they had in fact at some point given their children a prescription drug for which the child had no prescription. Survey authors recommend that parents establish control of prescription drug use by locking up medicine cabinets and tossing expired prescriptions. Parents should also discuss with their children the dangers of prescription drug misuse. It goes without saying that parents should lead by example. After all, you are your child’s greatest influence. With our modern increased interest in reducing environmental and chemical pollutants, and the growing interest in letting nature nourish us as well as heal us, parents would do well to consider whether a physical condition, either the parent’s or the child’s, truly needs laboratory chemicals to be treated. ADHD in a child, for instance, could respond well to a natural, low-sugar diet. Depression and attention-deficit disorders could respond to getting more sleep at night, and to getting regular exercise. Time spent with the family (including outings and dinners at the dinner table) is a way to ward off feelings of alienation in your teen and boost feelings that they are loved and that they are a valued member of the family; this will boost their self-confidence and improve communication between you and your teen. Instead of turning to a pharmaceutical company, you and your child can prompt your own bodies to manufacture the necessary, natural chemicals that will promote good health and feelings of well-being. If you combine getting enough rest and regular exercise, spending family time, and eating a healthy diet that celebrates the abundance of nature while it avoids artificial chemicals and processed foods, you and your teen will only feel better and be healthier, now and in the future. By Eirian Hallinan

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The 6 Most Important Parent-Child Talks

Danica Hoppe — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:08:23 +0000

No one said parenting was going to be easy. As children grow up, countless issues can arise, and as parents it is our job to try to guide our children through these times to the best of our abilities. An essential part of this job is to talk to our children about serious issues that kids face. These talks are not always easy, and they can be downright uncomfortable for both parent and child. However, they are crucial for a child’s development, and they are also useful for establishing the lines of communication. There are a few parent-child talks that we often think of as milestones because they occur at important moments in a child’s growth. Many of these talks are as difficult as they are important, and it is not always clear how to approach them. Here are six of the most difficult ones. 1. BullyingAll children face bullying at one time or another. What parenting experts tend to forget is that for every bullied child there is a bully, and in fact the same child may play both roles at various times. But even though we may think of bullying as a standard part of childhood, it is a serious issue. It can be damaging not only to kids’ self-esteem and confidence but also to their school performance. On the other side, bullying behavior often signals deep insecurities or unresolved troubles at home. Bullying usually starts as early as pre-school, so it is never too early to bring up this topic. Later, it is important to make sure your child knows that he can come to you if he is ever bullied. 2. Self-esteem and body imageEating disorders are a growing problem among young people of all backgrounds. These issues are most common in girls, but they are also on the rise among boys and young men. Although there are many causes of eating disorders, the most common are low self-esteem and body image problems that come about due to impossibly high standards of beauty set by the media and perpetuated by one’s peers. The signs of eating disorders may begin as early as elementary school, and they tend to reach their peak during the teen years. In talking about this subject, it is important for parents tell their children that they are beautiful just as they are. While we don’t want to perpetuate the impossible beauty standards, it is a good idea to give our kids the tools to live healthy lives. 3. PubertyAll children undergo major physical and emotional changes during puberty. The physical effects of this stage of life are most obvious for girls, but boys may also feel bewildered by the changes they notice in their bodies. Most schools cover these issues in their sexual education programs, but parents need to be there to pick up the slack, especially given the fact that sex ed programs are being cut in many areas throughout the U.S. 4. SexThe fabled sex talk may be the most difficult conversation that parents have to have with their children. We like to think that our kids are not interested in sex, but the uncomfortable fact is that humans are sexual beings from a very early age. Meanwhile, kids may be just as uncomfortable hearing about sex from their parents. But by approaching the topic with a sense of humor and in the spirit of openness, parents can make sure that the talk is relatively painless. Plus, a little mild discomfort never hurt anyone. 5. Smoking, drugs, and alcoholKids usually have their first exposure to cigarettes and drugs during middle school, and the pressures become more and more intense during high school before peaking in college. Kids need to know that they can talk with their parents about anything, and they should not feel afraid to talk openly about any peer pressure or temptation they may be facing from their peers. Drugs and alcohol can damage young people for life, so it is important to tackle these issues as early as possible. 6. Internet privacyIt may be hard to fathom, but these days there are college freshman who cannot remember a world without the internet. Unfortunately, young people are far ahead of their parents in the realm of technology and online communication. As a result, many parents are not even aware of many of the serious issues that the internet has created. While we may worry most about things like internet porn or web-based predators, privacy online is likely to become one of the defining issues of our time. Kids are wont to be reckless with their web-based sharing, and this can have potentially disastrous effects on their future lives. Parents should make an effort to be literate with regard to these issues and to make sure their kids set limits online. By Marc Courtiol

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